What's in the Room?
A combination of original, period, and reproduction furnishings represent the room’s appearance in 1799.
Furnishing the RoomBy 1799, the Old Chamber served as a guest bedchamber at Mount Vernon.
Its location on the first floor placed it in the midst of the house's entertaining rooms. The probate inventories indicate that it was furnished comfortably but with more modest furnishings than those found in the upstairs guest rooms. While its first-floor location may have occasionally made it ideal for guests with limited mobility, in general, its location on the first floor also made it less private and thus less desirable than the second-floor guest chambers.
A Room with History
Martha Washington’s First Bedroom (1759-1775)
For the first 16 years of her marriage, this room was Martha Washington’s personal chamber. It served multiple roles:
- A sleeping space for both George and Martha Washington. While traditionally considered the mistress’s domain, in elite 18th-century homes, husbands often shared their wives' chambers—though they sometimes used another room when their wife was recovering from childbirth or illness.
- A private retreat where Martha could relax and entertain close friends.
- A household command center, offering her easy access to the adjourning dining room to oversee meal preparations and daily operations.
During these years, Martha’s chamber was at the heart of social life at Mount Vernon. While she managed the household, the Washingtons entertained guests in the dining room, socialized in the parlor, and occasionally hosted small gatherings in the passage.
A Move to the Second Floor (1774-1776)
By the 1770s, elite Chesapeake families were moving their primary bedchambers upstairs or into separate wings for greater privacy. The Washingtons followed this trend when they expanded Mount Vernon in 1774, adding a new, larger bedroom for Martha on the second floor of the South Wing.
Martha likely moved into her new bedroom in the spring of 1776, after returning from a stay at George Washington’s Continental Army headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At that point, her former chamber transitioned into a guest bedroom.
A Guest Room at Mount Vernon (1787-1799)
Even after the Washingtons moved upstairs, the Old Chamber remained in use as a bedroom, particularly for guests. A December 8, 1787, record from the Mount Vernon Store House ledger notes that carpenter Thomas Green was given twine and tacks to install a bed and curtains in the room—possibly in anticipation of holiday visitors.
Other records confirm its continued use:
- 1797: Estate manager James Anderson called it the “Bedroom off the Dining Room.”
- 1798: Polish traveler Julian Niemcewicz described it in his floor plan of Mount Vernon, though he did not detail its furnishings—perhaps because it was kept closed when unoccupied.
- 1799: George and Martha Washington’s probate inventories recorded its contents, giving us valuable insights into its furnishings and layout.
While it no longer served as the Washingtons’ private chamber, the Old Chamber remained a part of daily life at Mount Vernon, offering a comfortable space for visitors.
What's in a Name?
The Old Chamber
By 1787, this space was no longer simply called “the chamber”—it was now the “Old Chamber,” marking a significant shift in its use and status.
The first known reference to this name appears in the December 8, 1787, Store House ledger entry, which documents materials for installing a bed and curtains in the room. The name also appears in Martha Washington’s probate inventory, reinforcing its lasting presence at Mount Vernon.
Undated postcard of the Old Chamber (MVLA)
Did You Know?
Ann Pamela Cunningham, founder of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, used the Old Chamber as her bedchamber when she was in residence at Mount Vernon in the period from 1866-1874.
Early Refurnishing Efforts of this Room
As the Mount Vernon Ladies Association’s larger interpretation of Mount Vernon has evolved since its possession of the Mansion in 1860, so, too, have the furnishings of the Old Chamber.
2024 Refurnishing
In 2024, Mount Vernon’s Historic Preservation & Collections team completed its refurnishing of the Old Chamber based on holistic analysis of documentary, visual, material culture, and architectural sources. A combination of original, period, and reproduction furnishings represent the room’s appearance in 1799.
Battle Fought by Cavalry
A focal point of the Old Chamber is the Battle Fought by Cavalry, an original painting that captures a pivotal moment in battle. Samuel Vaughan, an English friend and admirer, sent the scene to George Washington in 1785, with the intent that it would be installed in the New Room above the mantel he also gave Washington. Washington ultimately chose an American theme for the art in the New Room, and, after his return from the presidency with a new collection of American landscapes, he placed the Battle Fought by Cavalry in the Old Chamber.
The painting’s subject has long been elusive: Washington referred to it simply as “a Battle in Germany,” and his probate inventory listed it as “A Battle Fought by Cavalry.”
In the mid-19th century, historian Benson Lossing identified it, without explanation, as the Battle of Minden (a 1759 conflict in Germany during the Seven Years War.) That name persisted, but recent research revealed that the painting is likely the work of Jan van Huchtenburg (1647-1733), a Dutch artist who specialized in battle scenes. Huchtenburg’s death in 1733, as well as the specifics of the battle scene itself, preclude its being a depiction of the 1759 Battle of Minden; it likely depicts an earlier 18th-century conflict or an imagined scene.
Mount Vernon is grateful to Washington and Lee University for the loan of this original painting.
Chairs
Four side chairs represent a set of four chairs from George William Fairfax’s study at Belvoir. George Washington purchased the chairs at the August 1774 auction of the home’s contents. Their simple design was frequently seen on both sides of the Atlantic. Based on the original description of the Belvoir chairs, these chairs, two period examples and two reproductions, are upholstered in Saxon green moreen (a worsted wool fabric with a wavy finish) and protected by green linen check covers.
Washington-Custis-Lee Collection, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
(Gavin Ashworth)
Spider Leg Table
This delicate spider leg table is a period example that represents a piece Washington purchased at auction from his neighbors, the Fairfaxes. “Spider leg” is a period term inspired by the eight legs of this small drop-leaf form.
These tables first appeared in England in the 1750s and were used as multi-purpose occasional tables for reading, writing, sewing, taking tea, and more. They could also serve as dressing tables, particularly when paired with a looking glass, as here. The table’s lightweight form also suited the period taste for furniture that could easily be moved around the household as needed.
Carpet
Two bedside carpets of Wilton carpeting represent one of several pairs acquired by the Washingtons. Carpeting was a luxury in the 18th century, and, even in elite homes, bedside carpets rather than wall-to-wall carpets were typically used for bedchambers. Manufacturers in Wilton, England, turned out woven, cut-pile carpeting in a variety of patterns and a rich range of colors.
Venetian Blinds
The Old Chamber was the only room in the house recorded as having interior Venetian blinds. Movable Venetian blinds had been introduced to Europe by the 16th century and began appearing in England and the colonies by the late-1750s. This reproduction is made to specifications given by Washington in his 1787 orders for blinds. The decision to install blinds in the Old Chamber may have been driven by its position as a sleeping room on the first floor next to the piazza. The blinds allowed the occupant to moderate airflow and light and to prevent any unwanted attention from passersby on the piazza.
(MVLA)
(Gavin Ashworth)
Bed and Bedhangings
The bed, bedhangings, and window curtains represent purchases made by George Washington in Philadelphia in 1774. While in the city for the first Continental Congress, Washington purchased three sets of bedsteads and bedhangings for Mount Vernon. One of the sets of bedhangings was made from calico, or printed cotton fabric. Washington sourced these articles from cabinetmaker Francis Trumble and the upholstery shop of John and Betsy Ross, better known as a flagmaker.
Since the original furnishings do not survive, reproductions were created based on a c. 1770-1800 Philadelphia bedstead and a late-18th-century wood-block printed calico in the Colonial Williamsburg collections. In the 1770s, the most popular colors for furnishing calicos were red, blue, or purple on white. The reproduction calico represents these purple prints and showcases a fashionable colorway that drew its appeal from the richness and distinction of the color against the white ground. In English heraldry, the color purple had long been associated with royalty and signified honor and dignity.
(Gavin Ashworth)
Calico
Since the original furnishings do not survive, reproductions were created based on a c. 1770-1800 Philadelphia bedstead and a late-18th-century wood-block printed calico in the Colonial Williamsburg collections.
Paint analysis
Paint analysis of the woodwork identified several early layers of paint. This evidence suggests that, in 1797, when updates were being made throughout the Mansion, the paneling was painted a light cream color and the mopboard was painted a dark gray.
Consistent with its name, it appears that the majority of the room’s woodwork likely pre-dates George and Martha Washington’s residence.
(MVLA)
